As world economies continue to develop into internationally entwined entities, projects extending across cultures and datelines are becoming increasingly widespread. Businesses worldwide commonly outsource some of their work as multinational teams become a norm. The result often entails challenges based on a variety of languages and time zones, different cultural and geographic backgrounds, and even diverse money standards. Quinones et al. contend that cross-cultural teams who share mental models and have shared representations of the world are better able to perform as a group and as individuals. The model elements on which they focus include how communication should take place, how much effort each person should make, how tasks should be assigned, power and status hierarchies, and what elements make for a successful undertaking.
Participants were undergraduate engineering students from the US, collaborating with students from Brazil, Israel, or Turkey. Students were given actual projects to work on, in which they had access to original design documents and specifications. Tasks included developing plans for bids, cost analysis, and project organization. Each group met once a week to work with its remote partners. Collaboration tools included the Internet, Webcams, NetMeeting for sharing laptop information, Skype for video conferencing and voice meetings, and an electronic whiteboard when needed. Course information was available through Blackboard.
Observations showed that when there was disagreement among team members regarding their work structures, collaboration problems emerged. For example, the American/Brazilian team took several weeks to reach a compromise on team structure. In this team, the Americans’ preference was for a hierarchical structure, while the Brazilians preferred an egalitarian one. In the Israeli/American team, the Israeli team members discouraged social chat and were very business-like and work focused. The American/Turkish group started its meeting with social chitchat, resulting in a stronger team-building model.
Results of the studies show that team members did, in fact, display mental models of how their work group should be structured--how roles and role responsibilities should be assigned. Social conventions regarding time were also an issue. When disagreements arose in any of these areas, collaboration problems arose.
The authors acknowledge that, although their survey suffered from a small sample size, it could be a source of insight into cross-cultural mental models and how they affect team collaboration. They do not mention the ages of team members, but they are undergraduates; their relative youth may also be a factor. Quinones et al. expect that efforts in this field of research will help to develop engineers who are better prepared to work in the global market.
